Essay Reflections

     I've become very efficient in how to research and adapt resources to fit my needs. When looking up resources I also understand credibility is very important, so I have to make sure that their backgrounds are appropriate for what they're writing about or (if using a news article) if the journalist is using proper sources themselves. I find that cross-checking sources and numbers/statistics was the most difficult part, especially since I'm writing on Kurdistan and there aren't that many official reports on the region/incident that occurred due to its obscurity. I felt I conveyed the information the best way I could in the time allowed.

     The outline we did earlier in the lab was very beneficial to me. It helped streamline and simplify the information I had already obtained, making it easier to read and pass on the information into the essay. The main topics and its sub-points helped my maintain fluidity while writing my essay, as well as understanding the basic message I'm trying to put across. I had wished I had gathered and researched a bit more before doing the outline so I could put together a rough draft of the sources I'm working with. If I had done that, I most likely could have put the essay together in a quicker fashion as well as made sure the sub-points of the main topics actually made sense within the realm of reality.

     The peer editing experience wasn't exactly what I'd call perfect nor any where near average standards. It could be attributed to my partner or just my negligence in the audience that I was writing to, but I gained almost nothing (except one error within the thesis - grammar related) which didn't exactly help me write the next draft. I just put my sources/citations in my next draft and didn't change much structure or theme wise. I feel as though my choice in partners could have dodged some of this, but the lack of seriousness or attempt to correct was atrocious. After the peer editing part, we could have tried a self-reflection part where you examine your paper and try to dissect its weaknesses and flaws without ever looking at the peer edited draft, then compare the too and see the main weakness or what the two people agree on.

     My strengths are very apparent in my essay. I have my facts and statistics correct, not to mention I try to coerce an emotional empathetic response out of the reader, and the essay flows very well besides a few paragraph breaks I need to put in. My weaknesses, however, are very damaging ones. I need to relate back to the Crucible and directly refer to it through quotes more often when referencing a specific event, and should try to clean up my introduction a bit better so it's more clear to the reader about what they're getting into. With that said, I definitely need to focus on cleaning up the main message of the essay in the introduction then move on to cite more and refer move back to the Crucible to give it some validity before moving on.

Minimalist Lifestyle - Viable?

     1) The minimalist lifestyle is an interesting one, ingrained in our history and society since the dawn of time from the Ancient Greeks through the Christian peoples following the literal translation of their holy book, encompassing the lives of the Eastern Asian people who had followed Buddha, Confucius or even Zoroaster. Yet even though so many people praise this lifestyle, it is rarely seen today. I can commend it on certain tenants it represents. I can see the action of living simply, especially for the betterment of others (i.e. donating money to charity, objects to the needy, etc), is one that I could follow. On the other hand, I also feel that the lifestyle that has been shown and developed in my mind, could never let me live with such simple things. I've grown up in a society - a generation even - that waits week-by-week for the newest iPhone, even though they have the previous version. We crave and yearn for such things. We need entertainment, but not entertainment that's engaging. We rely on things such as T.V. shows, Movies and Video Games for such engagement. Yes, we could learn stuff and take out certain principles or ideals from those forms of entertainment, but it is truly necessary for the cost? The minimalist lifestyle isn't all about just "things." Sure, things have a huge part of it, but it is also about yourself. "Time is money" comes into a huge play here, we spend our time doing these things which require little to no effort, is it truly worth it in the long run? Yes, we get an emotional connection with some of these things and yes, sometimes it is best just to let yourself go. But doing it on the scale of which today's people are doing is, frankly, appalling. I am not innocent of these actions either. I enjoy the occasional Luther or Sherlock episode, even delve into the quirkiness of Doctor Who. I spend time playing video games for pure enjoyment, in a social setting. So I could see the argument for video games as well, seeing as though people (usually) playing them are in a social setting in which human interaction or cooperation is a necessity. But still, I'm torn between whether the lifestyle is viable or not.

    Friedrich Nietzsche was a brilliant mind in a time too archaic for him. He secluded himself to the mountains, as Thoreau had with Walden Pond. He discovered the beauty of nature, the beauty of individualism. He had his strains with the Emersonian Philosophy, but the major aspects were kept in tact. He once said "We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the way in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us." This is where I can see the other part of the minimalist lifestyle. Our generation is entranced by social media, the slightest gossip and frivolous new stories. We have not had a truly minimalist suggestion based on our society as it is today. Even the last 20 years from when Chris was living is massively different - the internet has grown exponentially, communication is easier than ever and T.V. has literally thousands of channels to get lost in. The seclusion in which minimalists sometimes experience can be breathtakingly extraordinary, or downright depressive. The choice is not clear as most choices sometimes are. I see the advantages and disadvantages of both, but the point still stands that I've experienced one and not the other. Perhaps, one cannot really judge whether it is viable or not until one tries it for himself. Maybe that's what I gain from this question. Nietzsche also stated elegantly "We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced once." Perhaps the dance of over-saturation is becoming tiring and it's time to learn a new, more simple yet beautiful dance?

Autumn's Grace

     Her grace gives us leave in between the hostiles. The breaths of calm overtake the earth and the foundation upon which you stand on. As the cold-hearted hostility approaches, the trees bare their teeth and shake them in the wind. I see how she moves through the wind, the dancing leaves that crack and flow in the breaths of peace. The sun begins to take its annual break, resting its beating eyes for one moment, yet he still squints, looking upon you with favor. I can see the ground, littered with the wooden tombs' leaves, colored by the radiant that inflict favor and contentedness upon you. The winds become less dangerous to I, for they calm and breath softer, and cooler. Nature has sent its followers away, to prepare for such impending doom. The insects and birds flock to other places, yet I stay in such a place to experience and learn to favor the grace that is given to me. Though not a single thing by itself gains my favor, the grace all together makes me plead for more such elegant nature.

    When I sat upon the cold rock which overlooked the shallow grass, obscured by the leaves, and it's accompanying ancestors you can feel time becoming a standstill, slowing as you watch the winds move and shift the ground and earth before you. It is truly a magnificent sight. Then I noticed the clouds above, taking the squinting sun's last glare, before he must rest. The serenity that places its hand onto this place is well-deserving. But as I stayed, the ambitiousness of nature grew ever more apparent. Her grace would only last for a short time and I knew that the grace must be passed on. For the short time though, it's truly the beauty of nature that embodies such serenity that lays down for the short while. But as I look now, her grace is past, the grace called Autumn has passed over us, giving us just a short time to relish in the true beauty of nature, knowing that we must endure both the hot and cold before we can be awarded with such. It is because of that, that we get the opportunity to experience such an event. Even though it may happen every year, it's only because we deserve to see the true colors of nature.

Character Analysis - Reverend Hale, The Crucible

1) Reverend Hale is an interesting character to define, but I truly believe that he is an antagonist due to the fact that his "expertise" is the guiding force in the persecution of so many people. While he may be clueless, he is a minor character as you notice less of him once the trials actually start, though under his eye most of the arrests happen and he condemns them. I could see how he might be dynamic, as he was wary when hearing of Rebecca Nurse's arrest and the arrest of so many others. He could be changing to the other side, as the guilt courses through his veins. I see him as a very stereotypical Puritan Reverend, accusing others of witchcraft, acting like he is more of an intellectual than others. The carrying of the 'big' books to signify his prowess.

2) Reverend Hale goes by what he believes is ultimately true - which in this case is the Gospel and Bible. He follows it word-for-word, even to the witches part. He is very literal in his translation and believes it is the ultimate law of the land. He seems to be driven by his own ego in most cases, such as being the "expert" on the dark arts. He could be seen as narcissistic as he elevates himself higher than others. He explicitly states, when John Proctor accused Parris of some misdealings, that being an ordained minister means they are higher than everyone else and cannot be touched by Satan.

3) Hale's conflict is very subtle, he seems to want some sort of redemption from his past (the false accusation of a witch from his own town...who then was determined to be innocent). Possibly redeeming his qualities as an expert, so he manipulates the townsfolk to do part of his bidding (suggesting numbers to Tituba when accusing others of witchcraft). He is proceeding with caution though, as I believe he is feeling more guilty and seeing what these accusations and trials for what they are - fake. Since the false accusation from his own town, maybe he's seeing others being falsely accused but this time sentenced to be hanged? He may be feeling some sort of remorse towards his actions, though he doesn't want to change his actions now. He's going around house to house warning people that they've been mentioned, possibly as a "hint".

A note from a nonbeliever

     Jonathan Edwards, a man that describes his congregation and followers as "objects of that very same anger and wrath of God." His spouts vile putrid to his audience - condemning them all to the hellish nightmare they believe in. The once benevolent God of Catholicism and main groups of Christianity has been manipulated into the malevolent being as described by Jonathan Edwards. He subjects his people to his hateful ranting, telling them that the "pit if prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow." He guides his people on a path that will ultimately lead them to their own destruction on his account. Their belief will poison this great land as they put their religion over others - most likely causing strife in the Americas as England has in the past (English Civil War).

     He describes God as having "everlasting wrath" and he'll make you "suffer it to all eternity." He preaches these hateful and arrogant words to children and impressionable people, to scare them into believing their religion is right. Have the Salem Witch Trials of very few years ago not taught them anything? The thing that should be first in life is not this malevolent being, but humanity. They have this thought in a Celestial Dictatorship, this God makes them sick and commands them to be well but they can never reach it. They will always fall short and be in "God's hands." He is putting a manacle on these poor people, a manacle on society. He is restricting them from showing their true intentions, their true and loyal side of humanity. It is hard to believe that these people believe in a God "strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God,without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood." A belief in that is a belief in destruction.

     This man, as hesitant I am to call him that, is ill and senile. His words should not be spoken to these innocent people. He should be barred from the pulpit and condemned to the acts of street performing because that is what his sayings are, and how they should be taken. I may not believe in any deity but no one should believe what this man says.

Impression on writing

I've always been fascinated with essays with the language and fluidity that accompanies that. The writing must reflect what you're trying to convey. The thing about writing is that you don't always have to prepare, but rather it can be sporadic and easy to roll with. I try to develop complete thoughts when writing as well as write when I feel like writing. If you don't write when you want to, it may come out dry and distorted which is never an entertaining thing to read. My vocabulary is a tad bit more advanced but the problem comes when I try to convey the message across in a short and concise way. I tend to do more ranting than actually write with the elegance that's needed to come across as actually interesting. There is always improvement in vocabulary and basic writing skills to overcome the jagged writing style that I have adopted over the past few years.

I have little doubts that the portfolio could help but I hesitate to think that I may not reference or look at it next year or even at the end of the years. I hope to think that I could improve greatly over this next year, but again my pessimistic side takes over and shrouds with doubt. Any unit dealing with great historical reference will be entertaining to me, as culture has evolved so greatly it seems many have lost touch with their roots. I do have some issues with completely understanding the language used in the old days, but hopefully I'll develop a better understanding. Usually sub-plots and underlying themes go right over my head as well, so that could be an issue.